Miss Strangeworth In The Possibility Of Evil By Shirley Jackson

Have you ever heard an ugly rumor about someone? What about the person telling you the rumor did they have good character? In Shirley Jackson’s story “The Possibility of Evil” Miss Strangeworth is a seventy-one year old woman that lived on Pleasant Street. Miss Strangeworth’s character can be analyzed by what she does, what the narrator say about her and how other characters interact with her. Miss strangeworth’s words and actions helped shape her character. Specifically, it demonstrated her possessiveness. For instance, the story states that, “Sometimes she found herself thinking the town belonged to her.” This proves that Miss Strangeworth is possessive because she believes that an entire town belongs to her. The story goes on to explain that Miss Strangeworth’s grandfather built the first house on Pleasant Street, starting the town, giving her a sense of greed. Additionally, the story states, “Miss Strangeworth never gave away any

The narrator describes Miss Strangeworth as inconsiderate. To illustrate, the narrator states “ She wrote on a pink sheet ‘didn’t you ever see an idiot child before? Some people just shouldn’t have kids should they?’ “ This proves that she is inconsiderate because she was going to mail this letter to a new mother. The mother had been before worrying over her child and Miss Strangeworth is now mocking her in a letter. In addition, the narrator also describes “ She selected a green sheet this time ‘Have you found out what they were all laughing about after you left the Bridge Club on Thursday? Or is the wife really always the last to know?’ “ Miss Strangeworth is inconsiderate in this quote because she doesn’t consider the wife’s feelings. Spreading rumors in general is very inconsiderate of people and their feelings. As a result, Miss strangeworth is shown as inconsiderate and selfish, as described by the